1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bar code generating apparatus for an image communication terminal device and, more particularly, to a bar code generating apparatus having a function for generating a bar code used for frame access to an information center of an image communication terminal of an image communication system such as a videotex system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, subscribers to an image communication system such as a videotex system are connected to an information center through thereof telephone lines. Each subscriber calls the center from his terminal (videotex adapter) to access desired image information, and the center then transfers the accessed image information to the subscriber's terminal, where it is displayed on a CRT display connected thereto.
In such a system, each time a subscriber accesses desired image information, he must key-input a frame number (e.g., nine digits) assigned to each of a large volume of information stored in the center. Therefore, since this conventional system entails a cumbersome key operation for each accessing of the terminal, the system's operability cannot be described as ideal.
In a recently introduced videotex system, an image communication terminal device has been developed which is capable of accessing a desired frame number using a bar code, in this particular case, bar codes printed in related information magazines.
However, since such information magazines seldom include the bar code of every frame number of information stored in an information center, the number of bar codes available, and thus the amount of information which can be accessed speedily, is therefore limited. For example, while a user of an information communication system is accessing a variety of frame information transferred from an information center, he comes across some frame information which he wishes to access a number of thereafter. However, if the bar code which corresponds to the frame information in question is not listed in any information magazine, he must then access that frame information each time by way of a cumbersome a key operation.
A service by which bar codes can be printed out by utilizing an image communication terminal device having a printer output function has been available for some time. When using this service, a user inputs a target frame number by key operations and sends it to an information center, which then supplies bar code information of the input number, the bar code information is output to a printer connected to the terminal, and is printed. Using the printed bar code, the user can now directly access the target frame information.
However, with this arrangement, in order to print a bar code, a user must request bar code information from the information center, thereby incurring a high communication charge.